For centuries, mankind has struggled with the problems associated with tying a fishing hook to a fishing line. Whether the angler uses a cane pole or an advanced rod and reel combination, an age old problem of securely and effectively tying a fishing hook to a fishing line has often plagued the angler. As it is often said, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”, the same is true for an angler fishing for sport or a commercial fisherman-or-woman fishing for their profession because the knot which enables the hook or lure to be secured to the fishing line is often the deciding factor between the angler landing the fish or losing the fish. Throughout the years, anglers and inventors have invented a variety of knots and knot tying devices. Many anglers use a variety of hand tied fishing knots for different situations and different line sizes. Some anglers only learn one or two hand tied fishing knots and are placed at a disadvantage when faced with a different situation or using a heavier fishing line tied to a hook or lure. An angler often uses different types of fishing lines and leaders as well as different strengths and sizes of fishing lines in their fishing adventures. These different lines, as well as the different sizes of fishing lines present problems for even an experienced angler when attempting to secure a hook or lure to their respective fishing lines. To complicate matters further, the angler is often faced with severe weather conditions or possesses physical conditions which hamper their knot tying ability.
This invention relates to tools and devices used by anglers, men and women, who fish recreational and commercial, for securing and tying hooks, lures, jigs, spoons, and swivels to monofilament fishing lines, braided fishing lines, and fluorocarbon fishing lines. This invention also enables the angler to secure a monofilament fishing line, braided fishing line, fluorocarbon fishing line, or fly line to a fishing leader material such as monofilament fishing line or fluorocarbon fishing line of lesser, equal, or greater diameters as such with a modified Blood knot. Also, this invention relates to a knot tying implement which can tie a modified Hangman's knot or a modified Snell knot to a hook and a modified Nail knot to a fly line in addition to the aforementioned modified Blood knot.
A variety of hand tied fishing knots have been invented throughout the years with each knot having been successful in their design; however, one fishing knot such as the improved clinch knot, which anglers widely use, may be successful when light lines are secured to hooks and lures but unsuccessful when used to tie heavy or large diameter fishing lines to hooks and lures. Large diameter fishing lines require the angler to tie another knot, such as the Baja knot, to secure heavy and large diameter lines to hooks or lures. Further, the modern day angler uses a variety of fishing lines which include monofilament lines, braided fishing lines, and fluorocarbon fishing lines. The improved clinch knot, for example, when used with braided fishing lines will fail and unravel when subjected to a hooked fish. Because the texture of the braided fishing line is extremely slick, a specialized knot is required to keep the braided fishing line securely tied to the hook or lure.
Numerous hand tied fishing knots require the angler to perform often complicated maneuvers and twists, manipulating the fishing line often around and though loops made by the fishing line as the angler maneuvers and twists the fishing line above the hook or lure with their fingers. For many anglers, numerous hand tied fishing knots are extremely difficult due to dexterity problems, physical problems such as arthritis, physical tremors, and poor eye sight, and weather conditions such as cold or rain. One such complicated knot to tie by hand, the Blood knot, requires the angler to hold two fishing lines within their hands, create a loop with their thumb or finger using the two fishing lines and then wrap one fishing line around the other fishing line on one side of the loop and then wrap the fishing line around the fishing line on the other side and then thread one end of one fishing line through the loop from one side and the other end of the fishing line through the other side of the loop. The angler then is required to grasp both end lines in their hands and pull both end lines apart in opposite directions forming the Blood knot. After forming the Blood knot, the angler then grasps the main fishing line, in one hand, and the other fishing line, in the other hand, and begins to pull the lines in opposite directions from one another tightening the Blood knot.
Numerous prior art attempts have been made, by several inventors, to solve the age old problem of anglers to tie an effective, strong, and secure fishing knot to a hook, lure, or swivel or address the problem of effectively tying fishing line to another fishing line or a fishing line to a leader line. Prior art attempts have also been made, by several inventors, to address the problems of tying a fishing knot in adverse weather conditions and assist anglers who suffer from a physical condition such as arthritis, tremors, or poor eye sight. Some prior art attempts have also claimed that their knot tying devices were a fisherman's-or-woman's third hand; however, most require the fisherman-or-woman to maintain their grip upon the fishing line or lines while holding the device when tying the fishing knots. Furthermore, some prior art requires the angler to perform complicated actions such as the manipulation of the fishing line around the knot tying device which require an angler to have an advanced amount of dexterity and good to excellent eye sight. Further, some prior art requires the fisherman or woman to complete a more complicated manipulation of the fishing line to effectively tie the knot than if the fisherman or woman had used their own hands, to tie the knot, without the use of any such device.
This invention also relates to an angler's “third hand” as it incorporates a silicon rubber insert with an aperture which enables the angler to thread the fishing line or fishing lines through the aperture in the silicon rubber insert effectively holding the fishing line or fishing lines while the angler concentrates on fabricating the fishing knot whether the fishing knot is a modified Hangman's knot, Snell knot, Nail knot, or Blood knot.
This invention also relates to an angler's safety as it incorporates a hollow hook holder, at the front of the invention, which protects the angler from the sharp point of the hook being tied. Also, this invention allows an angler to tie a variety of sizes of hooks, lures, and swivels to monofilament fishing lines, braided fishing lines, and fluorocarbon fishing lines.
This invention enables, through the use of a large bottom cavity, the angler to easily feed the fishing line or fishing lines through the knot tying implement which forms the angler's knots such as the modified Hangman's knot, Snell knot, Nail knot, and Blood knot. Prior art contains small grooves which the fisherman or woman had to thread the line into and some prior art required the fisherman or woman to thread the fishing line into the same small groove twice or more.
Further, this invention relates to a knot tying implement which can be easily fabricated by molding of plastic or machined from a variety of materials such as metal or wood and is inexpensive to manufacture providing the angler, inexperienced or experienced, with a knot tying implement which is simple and effective but can easily tie a variety of different fishing knots using a variety of fishing lines and a variety of fishing line sizes safely, securely, and without difficulty. The present invention can be held comfortably in the hand of a child or an adult and also provides the angler suffering from a physical condition such as arthritis, tremors, or poor eye sight with a safe and efficient method of tying fishing knots. The present invention can also be easily carried, in the pocket or tackle box, by the angler and is lightweight and durable.
Prior art known to these inventors:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,298 granted to J. C. Leary, 21 Jul. 1953, discloses a tool which enabled an individual to tie together the ends of two pieces of cord, twine, or wire.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,147 granted to F. A. Smalley, 14 Sep. 1954, discloses a hand tool enabling an individual to tie together the ends of two pieces of flexible line or fishing line together thereby joining the two lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,689,624 granted to J. A. Thomas et al, 21 Dec. 1954, discloses a portable knot tying device with an open groove, in one end of the device, and two notches in the sides of the top of the open groove. This portable knot tying device describes the angler placing the eye of the fish hook into the open groove between the two sides containing notches and the fishing line is inserted through a notch on one side of the device, through the eye of the hook, and then through the other notch on the other side of the device. This portable knot tying device then describes the angler wrapping the fishing line around the device and then inserting the fishing line into the longitudinal slot of the device and through the whipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,758,858 granted to A. J. Smith Sr., 14 Aug. 1956, discloses a knot tying implement with an elongated handle and a winding mandrel at one end of the implement with grooves and channels which the free end of the fishing line may be fed, by the angler, to complete the knot.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,825,592 granted to R. McK. Semple, 4 Mar. 1958, discloses a portable knot tying device for smooth filaments, especially the splicing of lines to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,036 granted to H. G. Wimberly, 23 Feb. 1960, discloses a fisherman's knot tying tool comprising of a means to tie a fishing line to a fishing hook and also comprises a fish scalar, a hook disgorger, and a screw driver.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,947,558 granted to G. R. Bethune Jr., 2 Aug. 1960, discloses a knot tying apparatus for tying of a Blood knot or Barrel knot.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,029 granted to W. R. Russell, 11 Jul. 1961, discloses a snelling tool for fish hooks with the tool resembling that of a key with a groove in the shaft of the tool which enables the angler to tie a Snell knot by placing the shaft of the hook parallel with the shaft of the tool and then wrapping the fishing line around the shaft of the tool and shank of the hook and then inserting the fishing line through the groove in the shaft of the tool underneath the wraps which were wrapped around the tool and shank of the hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,417 granted to D. J. Clow, 8 Oct. 1963, discloses a knot tying device comprising of elongated U shaped body having a pair of spaced parallel side members which enables the angler to place the threaded hook on one end and then place the fishing line through the pair of spaced parallel side member and then enabling the angler to wrap the end of the fishing line around the two parallel side members after which the angler re-inserts the end of the fishing line through the two parallel side members and underneath the wraps which had been made around the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,957 granted to D. F. Musto, 5 May 1964, discloses an apparatus for tying leaders and lines comprising of an elongated tubular member with a slot whereas the angler inserts the fishing line through a hook eye and then into the slot of the elongated tubular member and then wraps the fishing line around that of the elongated tubular member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,494,648 granted to H. L. Stephens, 10 Feb. 1970, discloses a device for tying knots in monofilament lines.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,651 granted to P. B. Shockley, 23 Jan. 1973, discloses a knot tying device characterized by a pair of resiliently closed jaws for holding hooks or fishing lines with a sliding tube for forming wraps of the fishing line.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,081 granted to C. L. Macy, 22 Jan. 1974, discloses barrel knot tying device with an inner U shaped member and an outer U shaped member with a notched member between the two U shaped members.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,691 granted to R. N. Smythe, 24 Sep. 1974, discloses a knot tying apparatus and fish disgorger comprising of an elongated rigid body with two flange portions with a groove extending along the length of the apparatus with a slot in the elongated portion opposite the knot tying end of the apparatus. The angler, using this apparatus, threads the fishing line through the eye of the fish hook or lure, places the hook or lure in the slot opposite the knot tying end of the apparatus, threads the fishing lines into the groove running the length of the apparatus, wraps the end of the fishing line around the apparatus towards that of the hook or lure, and then re-inserts the end of the fishing line into the groove running the length of the apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,140 granted to P. P. Bloch, 25 Mar. 1975, discloses a fish hook holder and knot tying device comprising of a main barrel, a removable end cap, and a spring clip hook holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,152 granted to W. E. Gardipee, 18 Jul. 1978, discloses a fisherman's knot tying jig comprising of an elongated body with a tapered end and also a blunt end.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,025 granted to R. R. Dennison, 23 Aug. 1983, discloses a leader tying vice device comprising of an U shaped base portion with two spaced apart legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,797 granted to E. Ragland Jr., 13 Sep. 1983, discloses a fishing knot line tying tool of an elongated and planer body with a hook holding tube at the front of the tool and a pair of notched fins at the rear of the tool with a lateral projection of rubber like material. The angler, using this tool, inserts the fishing line into the rubber like projection, then threads the eye of the hook, placing the hook inside the tubular hook holder, and with the end of the fishing line, in hand, places the end of the fishing line into a notch in one fin and then places the end of the fishing line in the notch in the other fin, the angler then runs the end of the fishing line towards the hook and wraps the end of the fishing line around that of the tubular hook holder twice and then proceeds to run the end of the fishing line back toward the two fins placing the end of the fishing line underneath the line between the two fins and above the tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,314 granted to O. R. Janssen et al, 28 Apr. 1987, discloses a hook sneller and line cutter consisting of an elongated housing having a sneller mechanism on one end and a line cutter incorporated within a clip on the elongated housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,762 granted to D. D. Cox, 12 Sep. 1989, discloses a line tying device comprising of an elongated mandrel with a ring structure at the opposite in of the line tying device and a depression and groove at the line tying device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,137 granted to T. E. Wardall, 24 Mar. 1992, discloses a device for facilitating knot tying comprising of a generally flat and rectangular device with a hole at one end and a fork at the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,295 granted to D. R. Spencer, 31 Aug. 1993, discloses a knot tying device comprising of a frame with two legs, a gap between the legs, and two winders along an axis of the legs of the knot tying device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,189 granted to J. Little, 14 Jan. 1997, discloses a knot tying device comprising of a unitary elongated main body with a working end and a second handle end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,616 granted to H. W. Hamilton, 15 Jul. 1997, discloses a safety fishhook dispenser and tying device comprising of an elongated, thin, multi-curved implement with a cylindrical longitudinal bore through the implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,037 granted to M. J. Fitzner et al, 11 Nov. 1997, discloses a tool for tying fishing line comprising of support body with and a hook holding mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,369 granted to W. F. Steck III, 25 Nov. 1997, discloses a fisherman's knot tying device comprising of a base with two spaced-apart legs at right angles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,447 granted to W. F. Steck III, 26 Oct. 1999, discloses a fisherman's knot tying device comprising of a solid rod comprising of cylindrical portion and a tapered portion with two longitudinally grooves within the solid rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,112 granted to F. R. Duncan, 27 Nov. 2001, discloses a knot tying apparatus configured in the shape of a fish wherein the holding members consists of hinged connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,804 granted to D. J. Beers, 6 Apr. 2004, discloses a fisherman's knot tying comprising of an upper and lower elongated body with an alligator clip attached in the shape of a retraceable ball point pen.